In a statement published on Tuesday morning, the Luxembourg Refugee Council (LRF) expressed concern that applicants for international protection are experiencing unreasonable difficulties.
The platform, which unites different organisations working in the field, is shocked about the way the country is dealing with refugees, especially during the current crisis. According to the council, they have received several reports from individuals who were discouraged or even intimidated while trying to apply for international protection.
In its statement, the council criticises that it has unfortunately become an everyday occurrence that people do not receive an attestation of their application from the directorate of immigration. In regard to this, the refugee council reiterates that the right to apply for international protection is an essential part of the right of asylum which in turn is enshrined both in the Geneva convention as well as the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The council goes on to state that the administration does not have the authority to decide who can apply for protection and who cannot, since this would essentially result in them denying people their rights. If people cannot submit an application, they also lose their right to basic care, which is guaranteed over the course of the procedure.
The organisation announced that as of Tuesday, members of the council will be present in front of the directorate of immigration in order to inform people about their rights. The goal is also to collect transparent figures about how many people turn up and how many of them are able to actually submit an application at the end.
The Luxembourg Refugee Council also points out that it already appealed to Minister of Immigration Jean Asselborn in January to deal with this issue. During this intervention, the council also stressed that the presumption of minority was not being respected in all cases resulting in a disproportionate amount of body searches – both acts being violations of fundamental rights. However, until now nothing has been changed, according to the council.
On the contrary, since the sanitary crisis has made the situation even worse. Vulnerable people, i.e. critically ill individuals, minors, or victims of violence end up on the streets under the pretext that their application was denied.
Until now, those whose applications were deemed "not receivable" were put in residential facilities by the National Reception Office (ONA). However, ONA is not doing this anymore, arguing that all residential facilities are full at the moment – even though the number of applications has never been lower due to the coronavirus crisis.
The refugee council demands that the directorate of immigration change its course immediately.
